The main reason teams in New York City switched to wooden bats this season was for safety, but another result that observers expected to find was parity, as teams found the playing field equalized.
Yesterday may have been a perfect example of equalizing effect of the wooden bats, because the two teams that played for the PSAL title a year ago, Tottenville and Monroe, lost in the second round of the playoffs.
Second-seeded Tottenville saw its chances of defending its PSAL title end at home, falling to Clinton, 10-8, in eight innings, and the team it beat last year, fourth-seeded Monroe, fell to Gompers, 3-1.
In other games, No. 1 Madison squeaked past No. 16 Cardozo, 4-3.
“Those top teams like Monroe and Tottenville, they had so much talent and then they were even better with the aluminum bats,” Madison coach Vinny Caiazza said. “Now, you can’t wait for the home run. Things are much more even.”
Caiazza’s Knights advanced to play in next week’s quarterfinals on Tuesday against eighth-seeded Wagner, which knocked off No. 9 JFK, 6-3. Upset winner Gompers will face No. 5 Norman Thomas, which beat No. 12 McKee, 1-0.
Clinton will play No. 7 Telecommunications, 9-5 winners over 10th-seeded Grand Street.
In the other bracket, No. 3 Lehman pounded No. 19 Bayside, 10-0. The Lions next face No. 6 George Washington, which beat 11th-seeded Francis Lewis, 11-3. GW got a pair of RBIs from hard-hitting senior outfielder Fernando Frias.